Combined mirror and instrument



Feb. 14, 1933. w. LA HODNY COMBINED MIRROR AND INSTRUMENT Filed Nov. 26, 1929 Patented Feb. 14, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT series WILLIAM LA EODNY, 01E BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR 1'0 STANDARD MIRROR COMPANY, INC., F BUFFALO, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK COMBINED MIRROR AND INSTRUMENT Application filed November 26, 1929. Serial No. 409,965.

This invention relates to a combined mirror and instrument and is shown as embodied in a rear view mirrow having associated therewith a watch or clock although any instrument can be substituted for the watch or clock, such as a barometer, a compass, a thermometer, an oil viscosity gage, or any other kind of instrument to which frequent reference is made. The invention 1 is also applicable to wall mirrors, bathroom cabinet mirrors or anywhere else where it may be desirable to have a watch, clock or other instrument as well as the mirror. This application is a companion to my application, Ser. No. 408,095, filed November 18,

1929, and to my Patent N 0. 1,884,756, dated October 25, 1932.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a single mirror having a watch or clock associated therewith, the face of the watch or clock being directly visible through a transparency provided in the mirrow by removing or eliminating the reflective coating on a portion of the mirror so that the mirror plate itself forms a crystal for the watch or clock. By this means the combined mirror and watch or clock are in their most compact form, the assembly is attractive in appearance, the face of the 3 watch or clock is clearly visible and the rear view mirror possesses its complete strength so that it is not liable to break or crack as would be the case if an opening of the size required for the crystal were cut through the glass plate. By forming the mirror so as also to form the crystal for a watch or clock, the danger of dust and dirt filtering through to the movement is reduced.

Another object is to provide a simple and secure means for holding the clock case to the mirror plate, which means can also be formed to provide a metal bezel for the face of the watch or clock, this bezel being arranged on the reflective side of the rear view mirror and being framed thereby.

Another object is to provide a combined rear view mirror in which the watch or cloc; can be readily applied to and removed from the rear view mirror and at the same time this connectionis not so obvious as to render theft of the watch or clock easy.

Other purposes are to provide a combined rear View mirror and instrument which is inexpensive to form and assemble, which is neat and attractive in appearance, which, particularly when viewed from the rear side of the same, Jresents no unsightly mechanical devices, and in which the instrument is readily accessible for resetting, rewinding or the like.

In the accompanying dr wing:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a rear view mirror having a watch or clock mounted thereon in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on line 52-52, Fig. 1. I

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary elevational View similar to Fig. 1 showing a square face and bezel for the watch instead. of the round face and bezel shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary enlarged view similar to Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing a modified form of the invention.

Fig. 6 is a vertical transverse section taken on line 66, Fig. 5.

Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts in each of the several views.

It has been heretofore proposed to make combined rear view mirrors and instruments of this general character by cutting an opening through the mirror plate and by mounting in the rear of this opening a watch or clock having a complete case, movement and crystal. Cutting of so large an opening in the mirror made the mirror extremely weak so that it would crack under temperature changes and this form is entirely impracticable for service in an automobile.

The present invention proposes to eliminate cutting of such an opening by removing a portion of the silvering or reflective coating and employing the transparency formed as a crystal for the watch or clock and to provide small screws extending through small openings provided in the mirror plate and securely connecting the watch case on the rear side of the mirror with the metal bezel on the front side thereof so as to securely hold the case in position and at the same time provide a bezel which frames the watch or clock and which is in turn framed by the mirror plate.

In the form of invention shown in Figs. 1 l, the numeral 10 epresents a mirror plate which is shown as rectangular in form and 011 its rear face is provided with a coating 11 of a reflective material. This reflective material 11 can be the usual metallic silver deposited on the rear face of the glass or it can be any one of a number of reflective materials which absorb a part of the light reflected into the same so as to reflect an undistorted image at reduced illumination, thereby to avoid a glare in the eyes of the driver from the bright headlights of following cars.

The mirror 10 can be supported in any suitable manner as by a bracket 12 which is provided with holes 1-3 by means of which the bracket is secured to the head bar (not shown) or other suitable part of the automobile. Any suitable means can be shown for supporting the mirror 10 from this bracket 12, the usual ball and socket friction support (not shown) being preferred and the mirror 10 being shown as held by fingers 14 which engage the beveled edge thereof. At one end the mirror 10 is formed to provide a transparency 15 which forms a crystal for the watch, clock or other instrument arranged behind the same. This crystal or transparency 15 can either be round, as shown in Fig. 1 or it can be square, shown in Fig. 3. This transparency can either be formed by scraping away that part of the reflective material after the entire rear face of the glass plate 10 has been coated with such material or any one of a number of well known means can be employed to prevent the deposit of the reflective coating upon that portion of the mirror. If desired, the crystal 15 can also be ground to provide a plano-concave lens.

Arranged in rear of the crystal is a watch case 16 which is adapted to contain the watch or clock movement (not shown). This watch case is shown as made of sheet metal and provided with an outwardly extending flange 17 at its rim, this flange preferably extending completely around the watch case. Around the crystal 15 the plate 10 is preferably ground so as to provide a groove 18 in which the rim and flange 17 of the watch case fitted. On diametrically opposite sides of the crystal 15, two small openings 19 are also drilled in the glass plate, these openings extending through the glass plate and opening into the groove 18 in which the watch case 16 is set.

The bezel 20 can of any suitable form, a round bezel being shown in Fig. 1 and a square bezel in Fig. 3. This bezel is shown as made of sheet metal and is rounded in cross section and on opposite sides of the bezel and projecting rearwardly therefrom a pair of small sleeves 21 are secured. These sleeves 21 are secured to the rear face or inner side of the bezel 20 in any suitable manner and are arranged to fit into the openings 19 formed in the glass plate 10. These sleeves are internally threaded and are adapted to receive the shank of a screw 22, these screws extending through the flange 17 of the watch or clock case 16. It is therefore apparent that upon arranging the sleeves 21 in the openings 19 and setting the watch or clock case into the groove 18 that upon applying and tightening these screws the watch or clock case will be drawn into firm engagement with the rear side of the mirror 10 and the bezel 20 will be drawn into firm engagement with the front end of the same. By this means the watch or clock case is reliably held to the mirror, the face 23 and hands 24- of the watch are clearly visible through the crystal 15, the face of the watch or clock is framed in a bezel so as to set the watch or clock face off from the rest of the mirror and the connection between th watch or clock and the mirror permits of compensating for variation in thickness of the glass plate 10, such variation being common and usual in the manufacture of mirrors.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 5 and 8 the bezel 20 is eliminated. In this form the screws 25 are applied from the front side of the mirror plate 10 and extend through small holes 26 provided in the mirror plate. hese screws 25 screw into threaded openings provided in the flange 17 of the watch case 16, this flange being set into the groove 18, as in the preferred form of the invention. In other respects this form of the invention. is the same as the preferred form. It will be noted that in this form of the invention the provision is also made for compensating for the variations in the thickness of the glass plate used and that the watch case is reliably supported, and clearly visible as in the preferred form of the invention.

As a whole this invention provides a very simple, inexpensive, attractive and compact combined rear View mirror and instrument in which the instrument is reliably held to the rear view mirror and is not liable to become accidentally displaced. The connection between the mirror and instrument also permits of the use of mirror plates of varying thickness, the instrument can readily be applied to and removed from the rear view mirror and at the same time the con nection is not sufficiently obvious to make stealing of the watch or clock easy. The combination also consists of few parts which are inexpensive and easily made and assembled, thereby permitting of the marketing of such a combined rear view mirror and instrument at low cost.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination. with a transparent panel provided on its rear face with a depression to receive an open sided instrument case arranged behind said panel and having a laterally extending rim fitting in said depression, whereby an instrument in said instrument case is visible through said panel of means for supporting said instrument case from said panel, comprising screws arranged in openings provided in said panel, said openings leading to said depression and said screws being secured to the rim of said instrument case.

2. The combination with a panel provided on its rear face with a groove to receive an open sided instrument case having its rim fitted in said groove, whereby an instrument in said instrument case is visible through said panel, of an independent bezel arranged on the front side of said panel, said bezel being provided with rearwardly projecting tubular extensions arranged in holes provided in said panel, said holes leading to said groove and said tubular extensions extending only part way through said holes and means for securing said instrument case and bezel in place, comprising screws extending through said rim of said instrument case and screwed into said tubular extensions.

In testimony whereof I hereby afiix my signature.

WILLIAM LA HODNY. 

